Steelers Had An Obvious Shift At The Wide Receiver Position In Big Week 11 Win

The Pittsburgh Steelers won a key divisional game in Week 11, as they beat the Cincinnati Bengals by a final score of 34-12. The defense had their best performance of the season, as they took a white-hot offense and outscored them by themselves. The ironic thing is that offensively, Pittsburgh seemed to move the ball better after Aaron Rodgers unfortunately suffered a wrist injury. Either way, the hope is that he recovers soon and that Mason Rudolph would be able to play well as a backup until Rodgers is ready to return. 

That's not the only offensive position that saw a change with their starters, however. Starting wide receiver Calvin Austin III seemed to have lost snaps in this game in favor of Roman Wilson. Insider Brian Batko detailed the surprisingly large snap discrepancy between the two players after the win against the Bengals. 

A 37-19 snap differential is no coincidence or mistake. That does not happen without the coaching staff having something in mind for the position group. The ironic thing is that both wideouts had just one reception, with Wilson having two targets. Either way, the Steelers obviously wanted to see a lot more of the second-year wideout and a lot less of Austin in this contest. 

Wilson is arguably the better run blocker, so that could be a reason for his huge increase in snaps and potential starter title. However, many fans would argue that he has always been better in that area than Austin, so it likely goes well beyond that. Maybe the former third-round pick is finally getting comfortable with his route running and role within the offense. This could have been a test for him as part of "the process" to developing him as a quality wideout as well. 

Alternatively, Austin had a very poor game the week before, as he only caught two passes on seven targets. That also included his first drop of the season, as the ball bounced right off his hands and into the defender's for an interception. Rodgers had a terrible day too, but his receiver did not exactly do much to help him out in that matter.

Steelers Have One Massive Issue With Entire Receiving Core

The big issue here is the receivers' ability to create separation from the defender. That should not be an issue for a wide receiver core that is built on pure speed from top to bottom. Austin is one of the fastest players in the NFL, so if he can't get himself open, something is seriously wrong on that front. Since he is a pending free agent, that problem could be the end of his time in Pittsburgh. 

Wilson did not do much better with separation, but he is essentially a rookie by experience, so he gets a pass and the right to try and fix that issue on the field. Clearly, the coaches felt a lot better about him and his ability to get open than Austin. The main question here is if this is a permanent change to the depth chart and starting rotation, or if it's just a one-time thing.

The snap counts of Wilson and Austin will definitely be something to monitor as the season progresses. Not only will it show their comfort level in both players, but it can also determine if the latter gets a new contract at season's end. It will also show if the former third-round pick can handle a starter's workload, which will dictate how aggressive the Steelers will be at that position in free agency, trades, and/or the draft.

What do you think about Wilson out-snapping Austin 37-19? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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